The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-04-14
AN AWFUL FIGHT.

AN AWFUL FULL.
A Combat Between a Tiger and q
Lion.
After an encampment OF two weeks
at Bangalore, WI moved to the north
west for thirty miles. and made a new
camp on creek which emptied into
the Cauvery river. twenty miles below
MS. There had been no shooting done
in this neighborhood for many years.
for the reason that a fever plague had
carried of hundreds of the natives and
depophlated many of the villages.
Game had had an opportunity to ip-
crease. and we had reason to look for
ward to some exciting sport. A native
hunter, living near Seringapatam. and
who was with rs in charge of the serv-
ants. had been told by good authority
that lions and tigers had come into the
abandoned district until they were as
plentiful as hares, and that we should
find a hunters paradise.
We pitched our camp on a cleared
spot on the right bank of the creek,
which had two feet of water in it and
was about ten feet wide. It was a
billy country all about us. with the
ground fairly well timbered. Half a
mile below us was an abandoned native
village, and many acres of ground
which had once been titled were now
grown up. to bush aud weeds. We went
into camp about an hour before sun
down of . summers day. and the tents
had not yet been pitched when one of
the natives routed out and killed q
poisonous snake ten feet long, and an
other declared that he saw a panther
moving in the thicket across the creek.
We cut down the smaller trees and
bushes and built a strong Enclosure for
the riding horses and pack animals. and
then ran a breastwork of brush clear
around camp. Alton Or tiger could clear
it at q bound, but neither beast ever
enters an Enclosure off hand. He must
be pressed by hunger, or desperate
with rage. 1t had just come to be twi-
light, and we were still working at the
north side of the Enclosure, when the
fact that we had big game at hand was
proved in a sorrowful way. A native
young man about seventeen years of
age, who was one of the brush cutters,
vas engaged with others about 800 feet
from where we were at work. 1t was
the last load to be brought, and he was
1,,k ~ Ill IL wos DsoE;nn N m HE Load
when a tiger sprang upon him from the
bushes. Every n of us heard the
enarl of the beast and the cry of the
man, and, indeed, there was the whole
scene right before our eyes. The vic
Tim, as he was hurled to the earth, fell
upon his face. The tiger seemed to
Turn him over three or four times, and
then seized him by the shoulder and
started off with him-not into the
thicket right at hand, but across 200
feet of perfectly open ground toward
the creek.
For q few seconds all of us seemed
turned to stone. Then there was a
rush for the rifles. which were FORUM
nately near at hand. There were three
or four old soldiers and tiger hunters
with us, and their presence of mind
brought about the death of the beast.
Some of us would have hesitated to
fire, KNOWN that our bullets would
be as apt to hit the servant as the tiger,
but two or three men shouted for every
body to blaze away, and five or six re-
ports followed one another in quick
succession. These men reasoned that
the native vas already mortally hurt,
and that it would be better for him to
die at once by one of our bullets than
to be carried off and eaten alive. ]
nave personally known of four or five
cases where men have been seized by
tigers, and have talked with hunter:
who knew of many other cases, and
there was only a single instance where
the victim escaped the fatality of the
spring. When the tiger leaps he also
strikes with his forepaw, and the blow
j sterrife.
The beast and his burden were
about half way across the oper
when they fell in a heap; the tiger
was up again in a SECOND, whirlet
around like a top, and then, with {
fierce growl, he seized the native AGAR
with his teeth and resumed his progress
We were advancing as we fired, but. tn,
tiger did not increase his pace by
second, and between the reports of til,
rifles we could hear Linn growing in {
savage n Handing my empt,
rifle to a servant, l drew my revolvel
and ran full at the animal from al
angle, determined that he should no
escape. He bore off a little to avoid m,
as l opened fire. knew l hit him, TO
l saw him vince, but he kept straigh
on to the bank of the creek, and afte
taking a new hold of his burden h,
made a spring, landed on the othe
side aud fell into Il heap, dead. TIL,
servants crossed and brought over bot
bodies. 1t was with the native as tn
tiger hunters had suspected. In leap
ing upon him the animal had give
him a blow which broke his neck. TIL
one cry we heard was all that he nj
tered. When we came to look his dea
body over, we found that four of GU
OuileS ndu HI IL, UuI uc WAS uedu iOuI
enough before IL shot was fired. In tn
case of the tiger, he had been hit min
times, and three of the bullets ha
reached vital spots. One of his fore
legs was broken, and he had carried hi
burden the last thirty feet and mad
the spring across the creek on thre
legs.
The next day was ushered in with
DRILLING rain, and it was nearly d.
cidcd not to have any general beat u
for game, but to overhaul arms an
trappings and make ready for the ne,
day Soon after breakfast 1 took m
repeating rifle and navy revolver. Sill